Nov182005

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) announced that she has secured $18.38 million for transportation and community priorities for the Olympic Peninsula. Senator Murray secured the funding as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee.

Today, a House-Senate conference committee approved the FY 2006 spending bill for the departments of Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, and other federal agencies. Now the bill goes to the full House and Senate for final passage and then to the President for his signature.

Updated on 11/30/05: The funding listed here is now federal law. President Bush signed these appropriations into law on November 30, 2005.

"In a tough budget year, we're making real investments in our roads, economy and community," Senator Murray said. "This funding will support jobs throughout the region, make our transportation infrastructure safer and more efficient, and strengthen the quality of life that families enjoy throughout the Olympic Peninsula."

OLYMPIC PENINSULA PROJECTS

Bremerton Community Services Center -- $500,000 - For more than 40 years Kitsap Community Resources (KCR) has provided a number of “safety net” services to low-income individuals and families living in Kitsap County. Many of these services are currently housed in leased buildings, but with Bremerton’s revitalization property values are increasing and rents are becoming unaffordable. The funding secured by Senator Murray will support KCR’s efforts to consolidate all its services in a new 20,000 square foot building. This new building will house the Bremerton WIC clinic, a commercial kitchen to prepare meals for low-income seniors and children, all of KCR’s employment and training programs, and KCR administration.

Grays Harbor Transit Aberdeen Station -- $780,000 - The main Grays Harbor Transit station is located in Aberdeen. The funding secured by Senator Murray will help ease traffic around the station and create more off-street parking by demolishing a structurally unsound building and paving it. The project will create more parking spaces and give buses that now have to cross three lanes of congested traffic a safer, more pedestrian-friendly route to enter the roadway.

Jefferson County Transit -- $365,000 - The funding provided will enable Jefferson County Transit to purchase two new vehicles to support rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $400,000 for Jefferson County Transit last year.

Kitsap Transit, Rich Passage Wake Impact Study -- $2.3 million - The funding secured by Senator Murray will continue work already underway in Rich Passage to better understand the impact of wake energy on shoreline property and to develop technologies and vessel design features to minimize it so that fast ferry service between Bremerton and Seattle may someday resume. Senator Murray provided $1.75 million for this project last year.

Lower Elwha Tribe Access Road Project -- $1 million - The funding secured by Senator Murray will help complete construction of an all-weather primary access road connection from the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation to the Clallam County road system adjacent to the flood plain. Senator Murray has previously secured $2.3 million for this project.

Makah Indian Tribe “200 Line” Road Project -- $1.5 million - The Makah Tribal Council has identified a plan for relocating their health clinic above the floodplain. The funding secured by Senator Murray will upgrade and extend the existing road to connect it to the new clinic site. The new road will also become the preferred school evacuation route in case of a tsunami.

Mason County Transit -- $150,000 - The funding provided will enable Mason County Transit to purchase a new vehicle to support rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $400,000 for Mason County Transit last year.

Port Angeles International Gateway Project -- $800,000 - The funding secured by Senator Murray will help build a multi-modal facility, public plaza, visitor center, park and ride and parking facility in downtown Port Angeles. This facility will be the downtown hub for transit buses, taxis, bicyclists, pedestrians, ferry passengers, and tourists. Senator Murray has previously secured $1.5 million for this project.

Port Townsend Streetscape and Transportation Improvements -- $500,000 - The funding secured by Senator Murray will support streetscape and transportation improvements in Port Townsend’s historic district. These improvements will also support further development of the Northwest Maritime Center, which will showcase the regional significance of marine trades and maritime activities. Senator Murray secured $250,000 for development of the Northwest Maritime Center last year.

Quinault Indian Nation Taholah School Access Road Project -- $2.5 million - The Taholah School is a public school located on the Quinault Indian Reservation. The existing school is in need of critical improvements to repair flood and earthquake damage. The Quinault Indian Nation has donated land above the natural floodplain and tsunami zone to build a new school. The funding secured by Senator Murray will pay for the access road and related infrastructure improvements to the new school site.

Washington State Ferries -- $6.7 million -
Funding provided in the bill includes the $5 million set-aside for Washington State Ferries from the federal Ferry Boats and Ferry Terminal Facilities Program, which Senator Murray worked to secure in the highway authorization bill that was signed into law in August. An additional $1.7 million is provided for the procurement of propulsion systems and generators to be used on new vessels.

Washington State Ferries Wireless Over Water Project -- $1 million - Technology does not exist to transport security and surveillance data off vessels in real, or near real time. Fast, high-volume data transport and storage would safeguard data that could be destroyed as the result of an on-board incident. This project will build upon the work already underway to provide passengers with wireless internet access – that technology does not meet the bandwidth necessary to transfer video from ship-to-shore. The funding secured by Senator Murray will support a demonstration project on two ferry routes.